Tillerson was said to have repeatedly complained about a perceived invasion of his territory by Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner.

Tillerson's departure comes just as the Trump administration embarks on its most hard and ambitious foreign policy goal to date - engaging the nuclear armed North Korean regime.

The official said Mr Trump works well with Mr Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas, and wanted him in place before the president's planned talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and trade negotiations.

"I was proud to speak on behalf of the Secretary of State to the American people and allies throughout the world, and this has been the honor of a lifetime". When Trump ultimately accepted Kim's invitation for a meeting, Tillerson was in Ethiopia, though he said he spoke with Trump at 2:30 a.m., shortly before it was announced. Word of Trump's dissatisfaction with Tillerson and plans to replace him had circulated for months, even as Tillerson insisted he didn't plan to leave.

In early October, Corker had said that Tillerson, along with Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, are "those people that help separate our country from chaos".

Amid all the news in the world - Russian Federation meddling in American elections, potential talks with North Korea, conflict in Syria, trade wars with China - the chairs on the deck of State are now being reshuffled.

About a month later, the president did use Twitter for a related topic, though: announcing Comey's replacement.

As for Tillerson, he reportedly did not know today would bring his diplomatic career to a sudden end, as the former head of Exxon-Mobil had just arrived back in the United States last night, after a trip to Africa.

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Soon afterward, Tillerson distanced himself from Trump's stance.

The Trump administration has gone through several high-level personnel changes during the president's first year in office.

"Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!"

On Tuesday morning, a spokesman for the State Department issued an unusual statement, saying Tillerson "did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason" he was being replaced. "Others are working on this as well", Tillerson told reporters. Qatar calls these charges baseless. Tillerson revealed he received a phone call around noon from Trump about his removal.

The outgoing secretary further used his remarks to touch on high-profile issues still facing the State Department, including its response to Russia's "troubling actions and behavior".

Calling your boss a "moron" is never a good sign.

German officials have expressed concern at the departure of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Mike and Gina have worked together for more than a year, and have developed a great mutual respect.

Tillerson's ouster came one day after he publicly broke from the White House and said Russia was responsible for ordering a chemical attack against a former Russian spy living in the UK.

But his efforts were often overshadowed by Trump's un-diplomatic style and his streams of taunting tweets stirring global tensions. The announcement caught the Pentagon by surprise, according to officials.